The former head coach of the Super Eagles, Finidi George, has attributed his resignation to the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) decision to hire a foreign technical adviser.
The NFF’s decision to appoint a foreign Technical Adviser indicated a lack of confidence in Finidi’s ability to secure the team’s World Cup qualification. This move proved to be a deal breaker for Finidi George, who was barely two months into his contract.
REPORTERS AT LARGE recall that on Saturday, June 15, Finidi George officially resigned as the Super Eagles head coach, barely a month after his appointment.
His resignation came a few days after a three-hour meeting with the NFF and the minister of sports, John Enoh. They decided to hire a foreign technical adviser to assist Finidi, following Nigeria’s defeat to the Benin Republic Hours after the game ended.
The former Nigerian international drew South Africa at home and lost to Benin Republic in the away match.
Details from his resignation letter, published by The Eagleonline, reveal Finidi’s willingness to stay on despite the team’s underwhelming performance in his initial official matches.
Finidi George expressed confidence in his ability to get the Eagles back on track, even amidst their precarious situation due to a winless qualifying campaign.
“I am writing to inform you of my decision to step down as head coach of the Super Eagles. This decision is made in light of the recent changes to the team’s technical staff. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the entire NFF leadership, the sports ministry, and the Nigerian people for the chance to serve as the Super Eagles head coach. Please be assured of my unwavering support for the team, and I wish us all the best in the future,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, a few hours after he turned in his resignation, former Eagles media officer Colin Udoh revealed in a social media video that he had spoken with Finidi following his decision.
In a video shared by Colin Udoh on X, Finidi cited one major reason that led to his decision to dump the Super Eagles’ job.
“Finidi confirmed to me that he resigned his position indeed,” Udoh said.
Udoh continued: “The reason being that he met with the NFF on Thursday and they had a very good conversation.
“They spoke about the things they need to do going forward and he (Finidi) asked if he will be back. At no point during that meeting did anyone tell him they were going to appoint a foreign technical adviser,” added Udoh.
“The NFF board had met on Wednesday and made that decision. But it was when Findi landed in Port Harcourt after that meeting that someone called him and informed him.
“He (Finidi) had to park his car and read the link to see that it actually was true,” he continued.
